Skånes Radio Mercur (Radio Mercur of Scania, later named Radio Syd)
December 14 1958 –1962 (continuing under the name Radio Syd from 1962 – January 19 1966)

The Beginning
In August 1958 Radio Mercur started commercial radio broadcasting in Denmark from M / S Cheeta in the Øresund.
At this time there were in the Sound two small areas of international waters, which made it possible to place a ship with a radio station and quite easy reach one million listeners in the region. M / S Cheeta was at first anchored in the northern area between Landskrona and Copenhagen, but was later moved to the southern area between Malmö and Copenhagen.

In September 1958 the journalist Staffan Heimersson was given the task by the newspaper Kvällsposten (The Evening Post) to do a story on Danish Radio Mercur.
On the trip to Copenhagen was also Nils-Eric Svensson from Landskrona. Nils-Eric Svensson is going with him as a freelance photographer.
During the meeting with Radio Mercur's CEO Ib Fogh Nils-Eric Svensson asks the question: "Can I start the Swedish broadcasting by renting air time on Radio Mercur at times when it is not broadcasting?" Ib Fogh thought it was a good idea and an agreement was later to be written between the Liechtenstein registered company "Internationale Mercur Radio Establishment" and Nils-Eric Svensson, where Skånes Radio Mercur obliged itself to buy three hours of air time each day between the hours 11 AM to 5 PM.

Formally "Skånes Radio Mercur" was registered through an announcement in December 1958. The Articles of Association stated that it would carry on commercial radio transmissions.

TT (Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå, the news agency for the news papers) reports that test transmissions to Sweden was to commence on November 12 1958.
Regular broadcasts began on December 14 1958.

Studios
The first "studio" was set up in an attic on Fältgatan 2 in Landskrona. The equipment consisted of record players, tape recorders and microphone. The programs were recorded in the studio on land, and tapes were sent by fishing boat out to the transmitter vessel.

In the year 1959 a real studio on the address Norra Infartsgatan 55A in Landskrona was built with the aid of among others Jerry Katz. A year later they moved closer to the 'market', to Malmö and Kalendegatan 18th The premises in Malmö was much roomier so in addition to offices, etc.. it also contained three recording rooms.

Initially they used frequency is 89,55 MHz, later 88,0 MHz, and since November 16 1960 they changed to 89,6 MHZ.

Ships
From its inception in December 1958 to January 1961 the station shared transmitters with the Danish Radio Mercur aboard the M / S, Cheeta.
In January 1961 the larger ex- Norwegian ship M / S Mosque was taken into use, now named Cheeta Mercur and who later became the Cheeta II.

The change to Radio Syd
Fairly early in Skåne Radio's business life Britt Wadner came to be employed as an advertising sales woman.
When Nils-Eric Svensson around fall of 1961 decided to leave the business, Britt Wadner took over Skånes Radio Mercur. The following year, in 1962, the station changed its name to Radio Syd, which was to continue broadcasting until 19 January 1966.